Organizations receive $1,000 checks from Carlyle Lions Club

The Carlyle FFA received a $1,000 check from the Carlyle Lions Club. Pictured are, FROM LEFT, Lions Club member Terry Stilt, FFA advisor Emily Millburg, FFA student Alannah Sarclette and Lions Club member Shelby Guthrie.        The Carlyle Lions Club handed out five $1,000 checks to local organizations during its meeting on Tuesday, March 24.
    Those organizations receiving the $1,000 checks were the Scouts, Carlyle FFA, Matthew 25, Amy Center and Sexual Assault and Family Emergencies (SAFE).
    Rob Persing represented the Scouts at the meeting.
    "Our organization has really come a long way over the years," Persing said. "It's the help and support that we get from organizations like the Lions Club that really helps us out. We appreciate your support."
    Emily Millburg and Alannah Sarclette represented the Carlyle FFA.
    Millburg is one of the three FFA advisors and teachers at Carlyle High School. It is her second year with the program and she is the Ag-Mech teacher. Millburg said they have a strong program, and a lot of that is due to the community support.
    FFA is part of their agriculture classes and it is an organization that gives students the opportunity to take the hands on concept from class and put them into use in different situations. One of the big pieces for the Carlyle FFA is community service.
    They do different service projects throughout the year including helping the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the Christmas tree drop.
    Sarclette is a senior at Carlyle and is a reporter for the FFA chapter. She competes in various activities.
    "One of my favorite things about the organization is that we are very involved with community service," Sarclette said. "I love giving back to our community and showing that even though we are just high school kids we can make a difference and help our community in a positive way."
    Sarclette said FFA has been a rewarding experience not just for herself, but for the impact she sees on others.SAFE received a $1,000 check from the Carlyle Lions Club. Pictured are, FROM LEFT, Lions Club member Kim Holtgrave, Melissa Kelly from SAFE, Jamie Fields from SAFE and Lions Club member Shelby Guthrie.
    Joe Timmermann represented Matthew 25.
    "I want to thank the Lions Club for their donation to Matthew 25," Timmermann said.
    Matthew 25 food pantry hands out food every Wednesday and people can come once a month. Some stuff they get from the St. Louis food pantry, and other stuff the Matthew 25 staff gets from local stores.
    Executive director Michaela Wharton represented the Amy Center. The Amy Center is a child advocacy center. The Amy Center covers seven counties, including Clinton County. Along with advocacy, they also do prevention education in the schools. They have two prevention educations — one for pre-K through fourth grade and one for fifth through 12th grade.
    "They are all learning about healthy boundaries for their bodies, for their relationships, and for their online activity," Wharton said.
    They meet monthly with their Clinton County multi-disciplinary team. That involves individuals from DCFS and fellow agencies they work with.
    "This is an organization that you don't really know about until you need it," Wharton said. "
    The Amy Center started in 1990 and was founded by Dennis Schultz. In 1987, Schultz's daughter Amy was walking down her lane in Kell about dusk and the next time she was seen she was no longer alive. Someone was driving down the lane and should not have been in the area, saw her, and picked her up, and murdered her. Her body was found the next day in Dix.
    "In light of that tragedy, Dennis found out there were virtually no resources for a parent going through this," Wharton said. "He put a center in Jefferson County and we have been able to help thousands of children since then."
    Wharton said it is very important that they continue to work in Amy's legacy and they are thankful for the funding from civic groups and organizations because that is what keeps them going.
    Melissa Kelly and Jamie Friend represented SAFE. SAFE provides free, confidential services for survivors of sexual assault and abuse and other impacted individuals. Those services include advocacy, counseling, and prevention programs.
    They offer a 24-hour hotline that anyone can call. They offer referrals for people who are looking for housing and utility assistance. This is SAFE's 40th year in service.
    "We are very thankful for your donation," Kelly said. "We are state and federally funded, so that requires us to match a portion of our funding through private donations."